If a first marriage were unlawful the individuals would be free to marry again.

Friday, 6/10/16

In the Gospel, Jesus said that (unless a marriage is
unlawful) anyone who divorces a wife and marries another commits adultery.

According to that, if the first marriage was unlawful, the
pair are free to marry again. The Catholic Church, sixty years ago, going on
that, began looking seriously at marriages that being unlawful from the start, could
be terminated with annulments.

I am not one of the church’s experts trained to carefully
examine the evidence in such cases. However, since I must deal with these
matters, I have come up with my simple way of looking into “unlawful marriage.)

I think back over the hundreds of marriages at which I have
officiated, and I recall that each time I have asked the same question: “Have you come here freely, without reservation, to
give yourselves to each other?’

I see this as four necessary conditions for a valid
marriage.

1. they had to be physically and
mentally free to marry. 2. There had to be no reservation that had to be there,
or else. 3. They clould not be so self-centered that they were incapable of giving
themselves. 4. It needed to be a commitment to a true marriage.

(Once inKorea I saw a
printed invitation to a five-year
marriage. The wealthy boys parents allowed him marry his girlfriend for five years before
marrying their chosen daughter-in-law.)